Valve for steam-engines



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSl1eet 1..

H. N. GALE. VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES. Nd. 440,757. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

I I I l (No Mddel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. N. GALE. VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES.

No. 440,757. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. N. GALE.

VALVE FOR-STEAM ENGINES.

No. 440,757. Patented Nov. 18, 1890-.

,, I Hill!!! HERBERT N. GALE, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,757, dated November 18, 1890.

Application filed May 15,1890. Serial No. 351,990. (No model.)

To all whom it Duty concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT 1\'. GALE, of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements inValves forSteam- Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient single-valve mechanism for use on a compound steam-engine having high and low pressure cylinders joined up either tandem or side by side.

My invention consists in the improved valve having the several steam-ports and exhaustports common to the respective high and low pressure cylinders to which the valve is appurtenant; and it also consists in the details of the several parts making; up the apparatus as a whole, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the cylinders and part of the engine-bed. Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the cylinders and bed and in central vertical section of the valve. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical central section through the steam-chest, cutting both cylinders. Fig. 4 is a detail top view of the cylinders, show- 0 ing the valve-chest and valve with parts in section. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are diagram views illustrating the relative position of the valve and the cylinder parts.

In the accompanying drawings only so much of a steam-engine is shown as is necessary to an understanding of the valve mechanism and its operation in connection with the steamcylinders.

The letterA denotes the engine-bed, at one end of which the cylinders are secured, as by means of bolts, the two cylinders being formed with their axes in line with each other in what is known as the tandem form, and the steam-chest or cylinder-body B is made preferably in one piece, as a single casting, that is open on the opposite ends until covered by the head 0, that is held between the end of the low-pressure cylinder 0 and the seat on the frame of the engine-bed, the opposite end being closed by the head d, bolted to the outer end of the high-pressure cylinder D. The high-pressure cylinder is smaller in diameter than the low-pressure cylinder. The piston E, that is fitted and moves within the highpressure cylinder, is secured to the end of the piston-rod G,While the piston F is also secured to the same rod at a point within the lowpressure cylinder. The piston -rod passes through an ordinary stuffing-box g, packed in the usual manner.

The valve-chest H is located transversely of the steam-chest, and is preferably cast integral with it, a cylindrical opening extending through and through the chest being adapted to receive the rotary valve 1. The valve is located in about the plane of separation between the high-pressure and the low-pressure cylinders in such position as to be conveniently arranged with respect to the steam-ports and exhaust-ports of the several cylinders. The valve is cylindrical in general outline and is inclosed wholly within the valve-chest, the opposite ends of which are closed by heads h h bolted thereto. The exhaust-outlet W, is formed through the head It, while the wrist-plate it, formed 011 the end of a rock-shaft It bears awristin k andis su ported in the head 70 in such manner that the wrist-pin engages a socket in the end of the valve-body. Vhen a rocking motion is imparted to the shaft 7t, as by means of the eccentric-rod Ye that is pivotally connected to the end of the crank-arm k fast to the shaft it, this rocking motion is communicated to the valve. The valve I is chambered throughout, is cylindrical for about half its length, and semi-cylindrical for the rest, the former being what may be termed the exhaust port of the valve and the latter the live-steam port, as it is located so as to make direct communication with the steam-inlet m. A diaphragm 11 extends transversely of the valve about midway of its length, and the pressure of steam in the inlet side tends to force the valve toward the left, as shown in Fig. 2, and presses it against a packing ring or strip interposed between the end of the valve and the head. The body of.

and by reason of this space the pressure of v the steam on this inlet side is brought against the wrist-plate, so that it tends to press the latter against the packing interposed between the back of the plate and the head h.

A by-pass from the live-steam pipe is provided in the pipe 42, in which is arranged a valve 71., the passage extending from the steam-pipe and communicating with the lowpressure cylinder at a point located in front of the piston F when the latter is at the out ward limit of its play. The object of this arrangement will be hereinafter explained.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4 the several operative parts of the steam-engine immediately relating to the cylinders and to the valve are shown, in combination with the high-pressure cylinder, just about to take steam that enters through the steam-inlet m, passing through the live-steam side 1 of the valve I, and by the steamway2, formed preferably in the wall of the cylinder, into the high-pressure cylinder on the front side of the piston. By the expansion of the steam the piston E is forced to move away from the head d. As the valve advances to a full open port, the exhaustchainber Win the valve is in communication with the steamway 3 to the low-pressure cylinder, giving vent for exhaust from the lowpressure cylinder. (See Fig. 4 and diagram 5.) The valve on its return-stroke closes both steamways 2 and 3, causing expansion to take place in the high-pressure cylinder, and a little later compression in the low-pressure cylinder, and at the time the piston has nearly completed its stroke the receiver i that extends within the body of the valve from end to end, will have registered port 2' with the steamway 3, so that the receiver i will be in communication with the steamway 3 to the low-pressure cylinder, to receive the exhaust from the high-pressure cylinder at the finish of its stroke. As the valve continues its rocking motion, the port i registers with the opening of the steamway 2 and allows the steam to expand from the high-pressurecylinder and pass through the steamway 2, re-

" ceiver t and steamway 3, into the low-pressure cylinder on the front side of the piston F, at the commencement of its stroke. The valve advancing gives afull open port, (see diagram 6,) and then returning closes the steamways 2 and 3 again and causes compression to take place in the high pressure cylinder at the time the piston has reached the proper position, the exhaust taking place from the low-pressure cylinder at the finish of its stroke after the steam has been expanded to the point desired, when the several valve-ports reach the position indicated in diagram 7, showing the exhaust taking place just in advance of the high-pressure cylinder taking steam again on the return-stroke of the piston.

The valve shown in section in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 is, for the purpose of illustration, supposed to remain constant as to position, and the several ports in the wall of the steamehest are moved with relation thereto. As

shown in the diagram views, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the edges of the valve on the low-pressurecylinder side communicating with the exhaust-outlet k and receiver 2' are somewhat in advance of the edges of the high-pressure side of the valve. This is arranged so that the low-pressure cylinder shall exhaust before the high-pressure cylinder shall take steam, and in order that the contents of the receiver 1' in the valve may be under compression with the contents of the lowepressure cylinder at the time exhaust takes place from the high-pressure cylinder.

In the several diagram views, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the valve shown in central horizontal section is in a fixed position, and the ports in the walls of the valve-chest are changed in succeeding views with relation to the valve as if these ports revolved about the valve, and this is done in order to make more clear the exact relation between the several ports and openings to the steamways in the adjacent parts.

The object of the bypass n is to enable the engine to be started by turning live steam into the low-pressure side when the position of the piston is such as to require this.

It will be noticed that in .the operation of the engine steam has been admitted into the several cylinders on but one side of each of the pistons-that is, on the front side, or the ones adjacent to the cylinder-heads. There is a space between the back sides of the pistons that constantly changes in volume as the pistons reciprocate. In order to prevent the accumulation of air under pressure and to promote the formation of a partial vacuum, the annular space 0 is formed at the end of the low-pressure cylinder and communicating with the space between the back ends of the pistons referred to, and from this an outlet 4 (shown in dotted outline in Figs. 3 and 4) is arranged, so that it communicates with the exhaust side of the valve I, and at each returnstroke of the piston the air is driven out of the chamber through the exhaust-outlet h A petcock or other similar valve 19 is provided for the purpose of draining the cylinders.

I claim as my invention 1. In a steam-engine, in combination with the cylinders of different diameters arranged axially in line with each other, the several steamways communicating between the cylinders and the valve -chest, the valve chest with the several ports, and the rocking valvechamber to form a receiver, and having also a crosswise diaphragm separating the livesteam and exhaust sides of the valve, all substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine, in combination with the high and the low pressure cylinders having steam-ports, the rocking valve having a receiver located lengthwise of the valve, and the diaphragm located crosswise of the axis of the valve and separating the live-steam from the exhaust side thereof, all substantially as described.

3. In a steam-engine, in combination with the high and the low pressure cylinders having live-steam and exhaust-steam ports, the rocking valve having a receiver located lengthwise of the valve and the diaphragm located crosswise of the axis of the valve and separating the live-steam from the exhauststeam side, and the packing device at the end of the valve, all substantially as described.

4:. In a compound steam-engine, in combination with the high and low pressure cylinders having steam-ports, the rocking valve having the live-steam chamber and the exhaust-steam chambers, and the diaphragm located, crosswise of the axis of the valve, the Wrist-pin' socket in the end of the valve, and the wrist-plate with wrist-pin fitting said socket in the valve, all substantially as described.

5. In a compound steam-engine, in combination with the steam-cylinders, with the steam-ports through the wall of the valvechest and in line with each other, the valvechest supporting the rocking valve, and the rocking valve with a receiver located lengthwise of the valve and a diaphragm crosswise of the axis and separating the live-steam and exhaust-steam chambers of the valve, all substantially as described.

6. In a compound steam-engine, in combination with the high and low pressure cylinders, with the steam-ports through the Wall of cylinders and valve chest in line with each other, a rocking valve having a live-steam chamber and exhaust-steam chamber with ports and separated by a crosswise diaphragm, the edge of the valve opening on the exhauststeam side being in advance of the edge of the like side of the port in the live-steam side of the valve, all substantially as described.

HERBERT N. GALE.

Witnesses:

' A. B. J ENKINS,

H. E. BAOHARAOH. 

